Info
- Band(s): Dead Flesh Stigma
- Label(s): Werewolf Records
- Release Format(s): CD
- Release Year: 2024
- Review Date: December 7, 2024
- Author(s): VincentP
Dead Flesh Stigma is the newest vessel in which v-Khaoz enacts his desire to bring back the glory days of 90’s Black Metal. With Vargrav he was at the forefront of a revival of symphonic Black Metal, a sound which was explored in a multitude of directions with his other projects Embryonic Slumber, Olio Tähtien Takana and Sorgetid. Grieve on the other hand has slowly grown into a hommage directly inspired by the likes of Gorgoroth and early Dødheimsgard. And with Dead Flesh Stigma, v-Khaoz ventures into yet another direction, to be precise, that of the most controversial chapter of the Dødheimsgard’s history.
When Dødheimsgard released ‘666 International’ in 1999 it certainly turned some heads. Largely departing from the sound of their groundbreaking Black Metal albums, the album featured a heavy infusion with avantgarde and industrial elements. The band abandoned that sound on the next album, and as a whole, Industrial Black Metal has spent its time buried deep in the underground. One can only wonder what would have happened if Dødheimsgard has continued the Industrial direction, if Thorns had released more albums or Mysticum had been more active, but fact is, there are only a few Industrial Black Metal albums that can draw attention to the genre.
Therefore, ‘Necrocosmic Death Ritual’ excavates a part of Black Metal history that has been mostly condemned to the shadows. The music on the album contains elements of Thorns, Diabolicum, Aborym and Trollheim’s Grott, but ultimately is most evidently based on a few key influences: early Blacklodge, the aforementioned Dødheimsgard record and most of all, the pulsating fury of Mysticum’s 1996 debut album ‘In the Streams of Inferno’. The majority of the music consists of basic and repetitive Black Metal riffs with an overwhelming flurry of thunderous industrial beats, haunting samples and some cosmic and symphonic elements. By keeping the riffs stripped down, the dynamics come from the changes in the beats, and the result can be quite harrowing in intensity. Take for instance ‘Farewell to the Flesh’, where the raw guitars are complemented with a whirlwind of beats and samples, or the pummeling ‘The Weak Wept Below’ where the keys add a further level of estrangement. The vocals on the record are provided by several guest vocalists, namely Graf Werwolf (Satanic Warmaster, Vargrav, ex-Horna and so on), Hellwind Inferion (Grieve, Embryonic Slumber, ex-Sargeist etc) and Azaghal members Narqath and J13. Instead of taking turns, instead they all merge into an array of vocals that adds another layer of madness to the already oppressive band sound.
‘Necrocosmic Death Ritual’ is a fitting ode to the classic work of Mysticum. Stripped down in its Black Metal, imposing in its Industrial sound, it provides an alienating experience fit for outcasts. After arguably spearheading the symphonic Black Metal revival with Vargrav, v-Khaoz could yet again be on the forefront of a new revival. Coincidentally, Dødheimsgard frontman Vicotnik is on the verge of releasing his return to Industrial Black Metal with the upcoming debut album of Doedsmaghird. Time will tell whether these releases will lift the genre from its eternal condemnation to the underground, but until then one thing is certain: Dead Flesh Stigma brings back niches of Black Metal that few have dared to touch over the past decades.
